Indicating system



July 29, 1930. E R POPE 1,771,418

INDICATING SYSTEM I Filed Sept. 8, 1923 J Jllllllllllll Flg. 3.

Figi M n /NMSA/TUH Patented July 29, Y1930 y[UNiTian? :s'i'ATas` PATIENT -g oFFieEb A i ELMER n. Porn, 0F HAMILTONL MASSACHUSETTS, AssieNon ToUNITEn SHOE MA- y CHINERY CORPORATION, or rATnasoN, `NEW JERSEY, A coaroRATioN oavivnvv JERSEY TNDTCATING YsYsTiii/i application ined september s, 19231' serial No. 661,693.

This invention relates to systeigs for indicating the condition of tools, as, for example, Whether they have become broken in use. It is of especial utility inconnection with the aWls of heel-pricking machines.`

In apparatus for pricking the heels Vof shoes preparatoryto nailing, the awvls are not nfrequently'broken, this occurring upon their Withdrawal and leaving the broken i0 ends inthe heel-substance. The brokeny portions are almost invariably ofless length than the depth of the holes which theyform-` Consequentlyythe ends of the bodies left in the aWl-plate are concealed by the templet through Which they' operate, While the ends Within the vheel are equally hiddenbybeing near the bottoms of thepricked holes. VVhenf the operator discoversthe fact that an awlv has been broken,l it is necessary to find the heel containing thev endto prevent breakage of adriver of the heeling `machine,byjsuch driver' striking the avvl-end. y To accomplish this, it is customary forthe operators, with much loss of time, to test the entire lot of heels which migh contain the piece, bysoun'd-- ing Witha nail the holes corresponding to the broken'awl. The presence of the pieceLis indicated by the ,metallic click produced when the nailv strikes the piece sought. An

object of my inv'entionis to avoidrthis loss vof time by furnishing means Which VWill indicate the breaking or change fof condition of the avvl or other tool, substantially as' soon as it occurs. This, in the particular machine herein disclosed, -is effected by an alarm de# viceunder the control of a member restrained by an aWl. i .r

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one application of my invention" to` a heel pricking machine, Y i s Y Fig.` l shows a portion .et sucha `machine in side elevation, With the present indicating system attached thereto,

Fig. .eis a from elevation 0f the tempiea with afportion in section, and

F 1g. 3 is a central, vertical section through said templet, With the indicating circuit con! nected thereto. 4 i Y The pricking machine disclosed is substantially Vthat of Patent No. 1,234,884, Pope,

Juiy ai, i917, and win ma b dsefibeci in detail. It is sufficient 4to saythat a heel- H to be operated upon is forced by a follower l0, sliding upon a framel2, toward a tem-V plet 14. vIn this templet are horizontal perf' Vforations 16fin which are locatedifthev ends ofV carrierplate,` communicating With the "sidesv of the openings 24:.and thus intersecting the paths of the avvls, `are passagesrv26. 'lheseA passages also intersect, meeting atthe center of the pricking design to furnish aspace 2S.` Mounted Vto slide in 4each 'passage is an indicating plunger or contact member 30 through an opening 31 in which extends thezavvlfin the corresponding" opening24` "spring seated betweenfthe endl of the plungerand a plug 34, shown as threaded ,into the outer 4extremity of the passage;exerts,amconstantL tendency to force said plunger` `inwardly r across the path of its awl. Each pluingenisl held normallyfinactiveibyits "Contact With lthe awl, Which, While remaining unbroken or held inits usual` position in the plate 20, extends atv all vtimes across the opening24e.,`

If' theend of an awl breaks, remaining in `the heelH, as is indicated at a ,inV F ig. 3, there?` taining abutment vfurnished `bythis portion. of the aWl for the corresponding` plunger Will be absent, releasing said plunger, which Will be forced( by its spring into `the space 28.

, Thefreciprocation :of the ,portion ofv the broken aWl Which'remains inthe plate 20 may continue through anelongatedopening 33 inthe plunger, the "correct alinementof this opening beingmaintainedl by apin `35- projectingfrom the plate 22.1, ince some of the passages 26, as those at .the bottomlof the teinplet, are short, the plungers are cor- Y Each of the plungers is provided with a stem 36 movable through a bore in the alined plug 34. By 'the stems, the shorter plun-gers are effectively guided throughout their entire range of movement, and any plunger may be reset conveniently after the breaking of an awl and its replacement. v v

Mounted horizontally in the templet and insulated therefrom by a sleeve 38, is a member 40 having a contact portion 42 extending into the center of the space 28 and into the pathsl of the plungers, when these are released by the breaking of Ythe corresponding awls. Thiscontact member, which is common to all the plungers, furnishes one ter minal of an electric circuit 44 the other terminal being grounded at 46 upon the templet or other'p'ortion of the Amachine in metallic Contact with said` templet. In the circuit is included an alarm or indicating device, as a vibrating bell 48, together with a source of current 50. When .an awl is brokenand its end left in the heel, therearward travel ofV n the plate 22 and templet 14, to thevotherside of the circuit and through the bell 48 back to the current-source. This causes the bell tov 'Y but to many piecesof apparatus employing movable tools which are likely to be broken or displaced in use. Y Y

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim' as new vand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with a movable tool,

of vmeans for moving the tool, Va movable member contacting with the tool, means for forcing the member against the tool, and indicating means controlled by the member when said member is released by the ybreakingY of the tool. y i f 2. In a heel-pricki-ng machine, an awls, means for reciprocating said awl, guide means for the awl, a member, means forholding said member in contact with the working portion of saidv awl, and indicating means controlled by said member on movement permitted bythe breakage o'f said awl.

3. The combination with a tool, of contact means bearing against the tool, means for mounting said contact means and allowing movement thereof upon a change of condition of the tool, and means operable on such change of condition of the tool as will allow movement of the contact means to indicate such change of condition.

4. The combination with a tool, of a member, means for mounting the member for contact with the tool and allowing movement when the tool is broken, and means operable on such movement to indicatesuch broken condition. Y

5. The combination with a tool, of a movable indicating member having at least a portion thereof normally visible, and means for mounting said movable indicating member to bear against the tool and allowing movement upon such change of condition of the tool as will allow said movement.

6. The combination withV a tool, of a member, means for mounting the member for contact with the -tool and allowing movement when the tool is broken,'and an electric circuit controlledv -by the movement of the member and including an indicating device.

7. The combination .witha tool, of a condition-indicating member, means for mount ing said member for Contact with the working portionof the tool and allowing movement thereof upon a change of condition of said tool which will permit such movement, and n indicating `device governed by ythe mem- 8. The combinationwith a tool adapted to penetrate material, a movablemember, means for mounting said member for movement across the path-of the tool, said movable mem- -ber being normally restrained by the tool, and

means controlled by the movement ofthe membertoward the path of the tool fory indicating a. change of condition of the tool upon its withdrawal from the material .to an extent allowing such movement. i

Y 9. In a heel-pricking machine, a recipro catory awl, a plunger, means for mounting Vsaid plunger to normally contact with t-he awl, a member with which theplunger may contact upon the breaking ,of the awl, and a circuit having an alarm and including the plunger and member.

10. The combination vwith a plurality of tools and means for actuating said tools, of a movable member for each of said tools, means for mounting said member for movement relative to the tools and for normal restraint thereby, andv yan alarm device controlledbyeach of the movable members.

11. In a heel-pricking machine, a. templet, a plurality of awls, means for mounting said awls for reciprocation in the templet, an indicating member for each awl, and means for mounting said indicating members, each member being normally held against movement by contact with its awl.

' 12. In a heel-pricking machine, a plurality of reciprocatory awls, means for mounting said awls for reciprooatory movement, a templet in Which the awls reciprocate, there being a passage in the templet intercepting the path of each awl, a Contact member, means for mounting said Contact member in the interseotion of the passages, a plunger in each passage held normally out of Contact With the member by engagement with its awl, and an alarm-circuit connected to the Contact membei and plungers. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

ELMER R. POPE. 

